Hopefully
by funkypudding
Summary: Hope, a loner who has lived in a cabin in the woods for eight years, meets a group of kids. She does all she can to make sure these strangers don't find out her secret but she soon realizes that these kids have secrets of their own.
1. Chapter 1

**For Maximum Ride readers, this story is about a girl named Hope who meets the flock. She is like them in so many ways but doesn't realize it. **

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**Chapter 1**

I woke up, startled by the sudden rumbling of thunder outside. It had been awhile since it stormed here . I looked out the window to see large raindrops pounding the trees. Something wet dropped on my head. I looked up just in time for another drop to fall on my face. I groan and get up. I pushed the couch I slept on to the side of the room. This part of the cabin was added on to so it didn't have another room on top of it. I found a bucket in the closet and put it under the leak. I figured it was close enough to morning to just stay up and not go back to sleep, like I would get any more with this storm.

I changed out of my pajamas into a worn t-shirt and jeans. I didn't have many fancy clothes, only things I had found here. I had mostly grown out of my old clothes and would use the baggy clothes I found in the cabin to 'shop' for new clothes at the small convenience store a few miles away from here, at the side of the highway. When I say shop, I mean steal. I would figure that they would know to kick me out of there but they haven't yet.

I find my poncho on the hooks by the door, which was hung with several jackets and heavy coats, a pair of snow pants, and some hats. Most of the jackets had two slits on the back. The poncho didn't have the slits for obvious reasons. It is supposed to keep me dry. I pull it on, stepping into some rain boots, and trudge out the door.

Rain pours on me. If I'm out here too long, I'll be soaked through. I find cover under the trees, starting a few yards from my cabin. The trees are close together, leaves cover the ground. The leaves on the trees are so close together that barely any rain makes it through. Leaving the small cabin behind me, I trek through the woodland. I know this place so well, since I've been here for eight years. I remember back then, when I was seven years old, scared to death of my future.

**(Flashback)**

_Tears run from my eyes. Dad ignores them and stands with his back straight, hands clasped behind him, and his head raised. Mom watches them fall down my cheeks but says nothing. Lacey is the only one showing any emotions, crying at Mom's side, pulling her hand, and crying out about why I had to leave. _

_"You need to leave, Hope. We can't have you risking this family with those mutations you have." Dad says, his voice cracking slightly. He spoke the word 'mutations' as if it were a terrible, alien thing. I believe that he thought he was doing the right thing, forcing his adopted, but dangerous girl away from his home and loved ones. I nod, understandingly. As a seven-year old, I knew I was a danger to everyone I came in contact with. I ran away from my family with a bag full of my few belongings, and away from everything I once knew. I ran in the wood until I was sure nobody could see me. Then I jumped into the air and flew. Flapping my wings towards my new home._

**(Flashback ends)**

I don't dare open my wings in this weather. If my wings got wet, I wouldn't be able to fly until they dried and that made me feel like I was trapped on the ground. I continued jogging for about two or three miles until I found the highway. Not many cars were driving down the road, so I would not have to worry about cars stopping and asking too many questions like 'Why are you walking in the middle of nowhere?' or 'Do you need a lift?' I could now see the small building with chipped, gray paint. The building was like a rectangular prism, very low and small. The only windows it had were in the front, on the doors and right next to them. The parking lot was small, it had enough space for less than a dozen cars. The the red name had faded away but it was there eight years ago. Homerst convenience was small, but had the necessary items that I needed. Stacy, the store clerk, had park her beat up pickup by the door in the parking lot. Another car, an old van, was parked a little farther down the lot. I walked into the store. Stacy sat at her counter, focused on a book. She didn't pay any attention to me or the people shopping here. There were only two other customers, a tall boy with strawberry blond hair and a girl with dark skin and beautiful dark brown hair. The boy wore a ratty t-shirt and jeans that were genuinely ripped, not pre-done. The girl wore a pink tank, a black skirt, and gray leggings. Her clothes were also a little ruffled with rips here and there and smudges of dirt. They had already gone done the food aisle and were weighed down by a mountain of food packages. I was going through a clothes rack when the girl came to my side and started searching along with me. I tried to ignore her but she kept making weird noises when she found something cute. I picked out a couple of shirts and went to the back door and planned to walk out of it so Stacy wouldn't notice but the boy got in my way. I was speed-walking towards the door when I collided with him.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to run into you." The boy said, helping me up off the floor where he knocked me down.

"It's alright." I mumble and go around him with my bundle of clothes. My hand was on the door when he spoke again.

"Aren't you going to pay for those?" He asks, curious to why I'm leaving through the back. I freeze and look back. He and that girl now stand behind me, staring as they waited for my response.

"I need these and I don't have the money for them. It is not like I'm taking jewelry or money or something like that." I huff, glaring at them as if I were daring them to challenge me. Then I push open the door and leave. A moment later, I realize they followed me outside into the rain. They both carry their loads of clothes and food.

"We won't judge you." The girl says, smiling. Then, they go around to the front and to the waiting van, which I now realize, has two people sitting in the front.

"Need a ride?" The boys asks, looking around the parking lot, knowing that the truck is Stacy's. I am still dazed at the fact that these kids also stole that I nodded. He opened the back doors so I could now see two other kids, both blond with blue eyes. One was a boy and the other was a girl. They were obviously siblings. There was also the boy and girl in the front. The boy had black hair and dark eyes. He seemed about as old as the girl sitting next to him, who had dirty blond hair and brown eyes. They all looked nervously at me but one look from the kids behind me told them to calm down.

"We didn't get your name, did we? I'm Iggy" The tall, blond boy says, smiling his bright, white smile.

"I'm Hope."

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**Who are these familiar people that Hope met?(; Please review your thoughts!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Say hello to the flock in this chapter. See how Hope reacts to these familiar strangers(:**

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**Chapter 2**

Iggy helps me in the van. Nudge, the girl with Iggy, was super perky as she introduce everyone else. The two sibling, I was right about them being brother and sister, were Angel and The Gasman, or just Gazzy. The girl sitting in the driver's seat was called Max. The other guy was Fang. These kids all had weird names but I wasn't going to bother them about it since I, after all, was telling them to drive me deep into the woods to my cabin. The whole gang of kids seemed pretty nervous about it, except Iggy and the little girl, Angel. That girl made ME nervous. She stared at me and it made me self conscious about my wings., tucked tight as I could get them against my back. She would smile now and then in my direction. The only sounds in the van were the constant _vrooms_ of the car and my giving directions to my cabin. I don't know why I was telling these strangers where I lived. I just had a gut feeling to trust them. We went around the long way, along a small dirt road that was in very poor condition. It was about four miles long and led straight to my cabin. It was still raining when Max pulled in roughly next to the cabin. I got out and realized that the rest of the kids got out, too.

"Do you mind if we stay here for tonight?" Little Angel ask, so sweet and innocent. I struggle to say an answer but I know somehow she is manipulating me. I finally stop my mental struggle.

"Sure, but don't you steal my things." I say, giving Iggy and Nudge a pointed look before walking in through the front door, panicking mildly. The rest of the kids follow me, leaving their shoes and jackets on the empty hooks and crowding my small kitchen. It only has a small refrigerator, an oven, a couple of cabinets, a sink, and a microwave, all bunched into the small space. It leads off into the living room where there is a bit more space. It consists of the couch I sleep on, a couple of armchairs, and the staircase that led upstairs where they could stay. There were three bedrooms upstairs. The first one was pink. Pink bed, pink walls, pink floors, pink lights. It was Lacey's room. I guess I should explain that this cabin belonged to my adoptive parents. They stopped coming here after I ran away for some reason. The next room was the biggest. It was the master bedroom. It had a big bed with dark green and cream covers. The walls were cream as well as the floor. The rest of the furniture was green. i led them to the last room. It was the smallest but pretty spacious since there wasn't many things in it. Only a bed against the window and a small wardrobe. The walls were sky blue with a white bed and wardrobe. My room. The gang of kids started calling out bedrooms, already at home here. I left them to the boys arguing about having the master bedroom instead of the pink one. I chuckled as I went dow the stairs.

"Why don't you sleep upstairs?" Someone asks as I flop down on the couch. Iggy. "I mean, if we;re taking your room, I'm sure the fl-uh, rest of the kids would let you keep your bed." He stutters slightly. i shake my head.

"No, I'm not comfortable sleeping up there." I say simply.

"Oh." Iggy says as I shrug. He sits next to me. I become very aware of my wings, twitching against my back. We sit in silence, well we were silent, the rest of his gang was making as much racket as possible upstairs. Finally, I stand up.

"I'm going on a walk." I say, walking towards the door. I open it to see that the rain has stopped. Perfect. I smile and walk outside but then notice Iggy following me.

"Do you mind if I come?" He asks. I take a deep breath.

"Fine." i say trying not to sound glum. We are getting ready to walk out under the trees, thinking I shouldn't have let them stay here, when the small boy, Gazzy, runs out of the cabin.

"Iggy! We need you to cook!" He yells even though we are only a few feet away.

"Rain check on that walk?" Iggy asks, turning to me. I nod and watch as he goes back inside with Gazzy. as soon as he shuts the door, I run in the woods and jump into the air, tearing open my wings. I fly over the green trees that are starting to turn with the season. I am free! The sun sets in the distance, making everything glow orange. I scream with joy as I free fall. My wings catch the orange light. The white patches turn gold while the black patches stay midnight black. My spirits rise. Maybe these mysterious kids won't figure out my secret. maybe they will leave in the morning without a clue to it. I fly until well after the sun disappeared behind the mountains in the distance. I drop next to the cabin and pat down my wind-blown hair the best I can. It is long and usually gets tangled in the wind but I don't mind. my hair is like a rainbow. The blond hair is mostly covered with pink, purple, green, and blue dyes. I had colored part of it after I left home and just kept adding to it since. I walk in the cabin to find one of the kids, Max, filling a cup with water in the kitchen.

"How was your walk? Iggy was worried that you were lost." Max says, looking at me curiously.

"It was great. Iggy shouldn't worry, I've been here for eight years." I say, not realizing until afterward that I had probably given too much information a way. Max raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. I walk quickly out of the kitchen to see Iggy, Gazzy, and fang sitting in the living room. Gazzy was scowling at Fang and Iggy.

"I can't believe there isn't a TV here." Gazzy say grumply as I walk in.

"Not my fault the owners didn't believe in television when there could be a real adventure outside." I snap at him. Gazzy's eyes widen. I sit on the couch next to Fang, who stares at me. Max, who had just come from the kitchen, now stands above us, looking between Fang and I. Fang stands up and follows her upstairs. Gazzy also follows, leaving a trail of stench. I crinkle my nose and Iggy laughs.

"Sorry about Gazzy. You get used to it after a while. There is a reason he is called the Gasman." Iggy says between his laughs. I laugh with him. After a while, we calm down. The sounds of the rest of the kids die away as they go to bed.

"So, how did you end up with a bunch of kids?" I ask. Iggy freezes. Maybe i shouldn't have asked that.

"Lets just say that we have a lot in common." Iggy says after his small hesitation. "How did you end up here?" He asks, pushing as many boundaries as I had.

"My parents kicked me out when I was seven. Lets just end it there." I say, knowing that if I tell him the truth, he would know about my wings. Then I wonder what kind of secrets he and the rest of his gang had. I had tremendous ones and they probably did, too.

"I'm going to bed. Hopefully, I won't have to wake up Fang. He is a bit grumpy when woken up." Iggy says, leaving me on the couch. "Goodnight." He mumbles before going upstairs.

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**Will Hope find out the Flock's secret before they find out her's? Review you opinions(:**


	3. Chapter 3

**Poor Hope has no idea about the flock who is staying at her own house. The flock has no idea who this strange girl is. Wonder what would happen if they found out...**

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**Chapter 3**

I wake up to find Iggy sitting in the armchair, holding a plate of pancakes. Rays of sunlight come from the window. It must be well past dawn. I sit up and Iggy hands me the pancakes. I stuff myself with them contently. I didn't realize I was so hungry.

"So where are the others?" I ask between bites of pancake.

"They went on a walk." He replies, looking out the window. I nod and finish my pancakes, which are the best I've ever had. Then I stand up and leave Iggy to change and fix my hair, which turned into a rat's nest over night. I pulled on a t-shirt and stretched my wings before putting my hoodie over them. Its going to be awhile until I can stretch them again. I sigh and go back down the stairs but stop when I hear that the rest of the group is back. I'm not normally the one to eavesdrop but these people are strangers to me.

"I'm telling you, she's hiding something. She is unusually good at blocking me from her." It's that little girl, Angel. "Hope suspected that I was manipulating her in some way when I influenced her to let us stay. She kept worrying about people finding out her secret but I can't figure out what it is." She stamps her foot on the ground, grunting in frustration.

"I hate her." Max mutters. Well, I don't like you so much either.

"Maybe she is a serial killer and is hiding from the police out here." Gazzy snickers.

"No, Hope, isn't a psycho murderer." Iggy defends. As much as I wanted to listen to them wanting to know my secret, which Angel somehow knew about, I didn't want them to think I was listening. I walked downstairs and all the chatter hushed.

"Hey, you're back from your walk. I'm glad you didn't get lost. It's very easy to get lost here." I say, trying to pretend I didn't hear anything. I'm probably babbling but I don't care. All the kids smile falsely. I smile just as fake back.

"SO, Hope, I was talking with the gang and we kind of don't know where we are going next so would you mind if we stayed a few more nights?" Angel says smoothly, getting a few looks from the rest of the kids.

"Of course, I don't mind." It is my decision and both Angel and I know it. My confidence level rises whe I see her grit her teeth in frustration. "Iggy, do you still want to go on that walk?" i grab his hand and smile. He hesitates, then nods.

"Okay," He says as I pull him from the room, the rest of his friends staring. I grab a blanket as we go. We leave the cabin and I drag Iggy to a spot I haven't been to in a while. It was a hill, almost a mile from the cabin. It had no trees on the top so we could see the sky clearly. I spread the blanket down on the very top of the hill. Today, the sky has just the right amount of clouds. brilliant blue makes them stand out so we could see shapes. I flop onto the blanket and pat the spot next to me. Iggy sits down. I lean back on my wings to look up at the sky. From here, with no trees blocking my view, I feel like I'm floating upwards. My wings twitch underneath me as I wish that I could fly right now but Iggy is here. The weight of my secret that had made my shoulders sag felt like it was being lifted. Maybe I could tell Iggy my secret.

"Ever wish you could fly?" I say suddenly, surprising both myself and Iggy.

"Of course. Sitting her it almost feel like we are." He responds. I turn to him to see him laying down and staring at the sky with longing, like he was fighting the urge to jump up and fly into the clouds. We sit there for a while in silence but it isn't boring for me. i find myself staring at the beauty of the clouds and the way the rays bounce off them. I finally tear my eyes off them to see Iggy staring at me.

" Your expression when you see the sky. You look like you are looking straight to the heavens. It is beautiful." He says, probably thinking aloud, judging by the way his eyes widened right afterward. My face feels hot. I feel like smacking myself in the head because I was blushing. Why? Because I maybe, sort of, kind of like Iggy. Even though I had only known him for less than twenty-four hours.

"That's so sweet of you, Iggy." I say, cursing myself for not saying this sooner plus I was still blushing. Then suddenly, Iggy leaned over and kissed me. then he pulled back, probably losing his confidence, and looked back at the clouds, blushing slightly. We lay there in silence again as we stare at the sky, thinking about the kiss this time. my stomach flipped when I thought about it. There was no way I liked this boy. he doesn't even know who I really am. He only knows the girl who steals, lives in a cabin, and has a secret.

"Iggy?"

"Yeah?" I take a deep breath.

"Can you keep a secret for me? Can you promise never to tell anyone, not even your friends?" He hesitates.

"Yes, I promise I won't tell them." Iggy says, looking at me with a mixture of wonder and nervousness.

"This might sound crazy to you..."

"That's alright. I'm and expert on crazy." He grins wildly. I look back at the sky and let go. The thing that kept me here, in the woods. My secret. I stood up and pulled off my hoodie. My wings sprang out, after an hour of being crushed between me and the ground. Iggy gasps. For the first time in eight years, I felt tears pour down my cheeks, and I look away from him.

"No, don't cry, Hope." He says, scrambling to his feet. Easy for him to say. He didn't have wings. He took my hand and I looked into his eyes but my attention was caught by the things that had just opened behind him. I spoke too soon. Iggy did have wings. Two large wings with white and gray feathers sprouted from his back. I cried, now with relief, and went straight into his open arms. He held me until I finally wiped off my tears.

"I've been alone for so long. I had no idea other people had wings. I thought I was a freak." I babbled to him.

"You're not alone, Hope. Don't worry." He said, looking into my eyes with his own pale blue orbs. I smiled and stepped out of his embrace. I jumped up into the air, laughing as Iggy chased me. We sped through the clouds that we had stared at earlier, wishing that we were flying. I happily screamed out, my painful years of being alone blowing away with the wind. We ended up laying on the blanket again, stretching or wings in the warm sunlight, unusual weather for this time of the year.

"So, what about the other kids?" I ask as Iggy plays around with my hair. His fingers flinch.

"What do you mean?"

"Are they like us?"

"Yes," He says quietly. I had already suspected as such. "The whole flock has wings." The flock. A unique name for their group. Perfectly goes with their wings and such.

"Are you going to let me tell them about you?"

"Um, maybe we can just show them." I smirk.

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Later that evening, Iggy and I walk into the cabin to find the flock lounging in the living. Their bored expressions certainly turned when they saw my wings.

"I knew she was hiding something." I hear Angel's voice but she isn't speaking, just staring at me. maybe I imagined it. Max gets up from her seat and walks over to us.

"I'm assuming that Iggy told you some things about us." She says, glaring at Iggy.

"Just that you and your flock have wings." I smile innocently. Max scowls.

"We need to leave and I expect that you won't tell anyone about us, seeing that you have similar qualities." She says, pulling people up out of their seats.

"No, I'm not leaving." The flock freezes and I bite back my retort for Max.

"You can go but I'm staying with Hope." I am immediately filled with gratitude. I don't want to be alone again so soon. Max looks over at Fang who shrugs.

"It's kind of nice, being here, with real food and a real bed." He says, sitting back down on the couch. Gazzy and Nudge nod with him.

"I don't know. I feel uneasy here but I guess the flock has already made up their minds." Angel huffs. Iggy tightens his hand. The flock is staying. For now.

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**Isn't Iggy sweet? I wonder how Max is going to react to Hope and Iggy's relationship? After her sister, Ella had already been crushing on him and this girl just got the support of her flock with Max unwilling. Maybe I will do Max's POV for a bit (; Review your thoughts on that.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I've decided to do MAx's POV in this chapter but it does go back to Hope's POV. There is some FAX in this chapter and Iggy and Hope ask the flock a very important question.**

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**Max's POV**

I'm really starting to hate that girl. Who does she think she is, walking right into the flock, everyone taking her side. Only Angel understands. Though I am confused to why Hope is harder for her to control. Maybe it has to do with her being a winged kid like the rest of us. I am also uneasy about her relationship with Iggy. I thought he had a crush on my sister, Ella, but now there is Hope. Instead of my lovable sister, he crushed on a sarcastic fool that we met two days ago. Now, I'm home with Angel as Hope and the flock go flying for a while.

"Max, what if Hope has powers like we do?" Angel asks as she lounges on the couch. I shrug. I don't know what to think about Hope's strange ability to block Angel. Before I could explain this to Angel, the rest of the flock bursts into the room. Gazzy and Nudge sit next to Angel on the couch while Iggy and Hope squeeze into the armchair across from me. FAng walks over to me, eyeing the couple, but then notices my expression and sits on the floor.

"That was amazing! It took awhile getting to the mountains but it was the most beautiful thing once we were there! Max, Angel, you should have seen the view. We cold even spot the cabin from the mountain! Hope said we might be able to go see the sunset from roof later!" Nudge chattered. I smiled in her direction. I was glad she was having fun. We've run for so long that we had forgotten how nice it was to stay in one place. The gang finally got up and went to the roof. Angel even went but I stayed behind.

When the flock came back inside, everyone went to bed. Nudge and I went to the master bedroom as Angel and Gazzy took the blue one and Iggy and Fang took the pink room. I left Nudge after she feel asleep and found Fang waiting for me outside my window. I climb out and follow him onto the roof.

"You know you would have more fun if you accepted Hope just a little. I still don't know why you hate her." Fang says after we sit down and cuddle to keep warm from the frigid evening.

"I hate her because of Angel. It's very unnerving for your trusty mind reader to not be able to read someone's mind." I reply. Fang nods in understanding.

"Iggy wasn't in bed when I left." He says, changing the subject.

"Hope." I growl. Fang laughs.

"They probably went out on a midnight flight or went to that place they went to yesterday, the one where Iggy tells me they kissed." He goes on.

"No, they didn't."

"They did."

"No."

"Yes. Iggy told me."

"And that's probably when they told each other about their wings."

"Probably." He smirks at my face. "You're so cute when you figure something out." We lean into each other at that. Then I punch him in the arm. He rubs it, scowling.

"Ow! What wa-" He is cut off by my kissing him. Shortly after, we are interrupted by a giggle. We pull apart and silently look down at the ground. Hope and Iggy are leaving the cabin, hand in hand. I turn to Fang, smirking, raising an eyebrow.

"Forget it, we are not holding hand s for a midnight stroll." He whispers and gags. I roll my eyes.

"No, lets follow them and see if they actually kiss." I whisper back. He nods and we both jump up into the night. Fang lands in the tree next to me. We are just on the edge of the clearing. This hill has no trees on it. At the top, we can see Iggy laying a blanket on the ground and wrapping himself and Hope in another blanket to keep warm.

"Why aren't you romantic like that?" I tease and Fang sticks out his tongue. They lay down on the blanket and look at the stars, which seemed to have multiplied since we are miles away from civilization.

"So, I don't think your friends, Max and Angel, like me very much." Hope says, actually sounding a bit sad.

"Don't worry, they'll come around. You know how I told you about our powers and how Angel can read minds?" Well, she hasn't been able to read your's clearly. She got really frustrated about it. She will get over it. Max is just mad that you found out about is. I think she is really mad at me but is blaming you because you are a stranger to her." Iggy explains.

"Iggy got it spot on."

"Shut up." My mind was still reeling from the fact that Iggy told Hope about our powers as well as our wings.

"I really hope they will like me. Especially if you are willing to do this for me." Hope says.

"Of course I'm willing. I already told you. I'm going to propose the idea tomorrow to the flock. I really hope they will agree with me." Iggy says, moving closer to Hope as she shivers in the cold. Hope smiles and looks into his eyes. Then they both lean in and-

"Uck." I say and turn away.

"I wish you were that romantic."

"Don't push it, buddy." I grab his hand and we stealthily fly away from Iggy and his new girlfriend.

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**Hope's POV**

I feel giddy when I wake up this morning. Iggy and I had an amazing time last night, watching the stars. He also promised something that would change my life. I don't know if I should allow him to change our lives with one simple request. Mam stomps down the stairs with Fang. She glares at me before stomping towards the kitchen. Something tells me she is in a bad mood. Then Iggy walks out of the kitchen, almost bumping into the already grumpy Maximum Ride. He carries a tray with several different foods piled on it. These foods include eggs, bacon, toast, and some fresh fruit. He scoops some of each on some empty plate and hands them to me, Max, and Fang. He gives some to Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge as they make their way downstairs.

"So, would you guys mind if I talk to you while you eat?" Iggy asks. Most of the flock shrugs, not really caring since they go food either way.

"I want to ask you a very important question." Iggy continued, getting a very concentrated stare from Angel and some very confused from the rest. Angel gasps at one point but other than that, she is quiet about what is going on in Iggy's mind.

"I wanted to ask you about how you feel about Hope joining the flock." The bomb blew up as everyone gasped. No one saw that coming. THen the flock broke in answers.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Nudge screamed.

"She's pretty cool." Gazzy nods.

"I wouldn't mind." Fang shrugs.

"Maybe she could be useful but I'm still a bit uneasy about the thought." Angel concludes.

"Um, no." Max says. Everyone was talking at the same time. All I know is at this point, I have most of the flock rooting for me. I sat quietly next to Iggy as the flock debated with themselves. Finally they grew silent and Mas stood up to face.

"The flock has convinced me to let you in. Though if you prove to do more harm than good, we will kick you out." I nod vigorously. Max sighs heavily.

"Welcome to the flock."

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**Hope is a flock member? Yay! I was thinking for the next chapter, it could be Angel's POV...(:**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, its been awhile. I had this ready but school started and I didn't have time to update it...**

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**Angel POV**

I sit on the couch, sulking, as the rest of the flock congratulates Hope, being excited for our newest member. Well, the rest of the flock excluding Max, who scowls, not at all happy. Iggy is the happiest of the flock.

_I can be with Hope! _He repeats over and over again in his head. I am very weary of her. I stare at her and reach into her thoughts as hard as I can. All I get is a terrible headache and strange feelings of happiness. Max looks at Hope in disgust.

_I can't believe that freak is part of the flock_. She thinks and narrows her eyes. Hope notices and smiles wider as if to say _Ha!_ I realize that this girl is almost exactly like Max. Sarcastic, pretty, stubborn, independent. I smile in amusement, causing Max to give me a ridiculed look. I shrug and get p to congratulate Hope, accepting the fact that she is staying. If Max and I are friends, then Hope and I can be friends.

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**Hope POV**

My day is absolutely made when Angel congratulates me on joining the flock. After everyone finishes rattling about how much fun its going to be with a new member in the flock, Nudge convinces us to go out on a flight. Max even joins us. We fly over the mountains and towards the lake in the valley behind them. We land there just in time for lunch. Iggy brought a bag full of food for us. We spread out on the bank, snacking on sandwiches and chips.

"So, how does it feel being in the flock?" Iggy asks. We sit a little ways from the rest of the flock on a rock above the water. Our feet dangle over the edge and barely touch the lake. I lean into Iggy as he puts his arm around me.

"Different." Its true. I'm so used to being alone that this feeling is completely different. It's a good feeling. Iggy moves his face close to me. Just before our lips touch, I am pushed into the water. Iggy and I are flailing in the water, soaked through. Once we find our footing on the bottom of the lake, where the water was just below or shoulders, we glare at Gazzy, who smiles triumphantly at the top of the rock.

"That's what you get for almost kissing in front of us." Gazzy yells. The flock gathers at the top of the rock and laughs. I grin and pull Iggy in and kiss him. Gazzy gags and Nudge giggles with Angel. Fang points and says something to Max. She elbows him so hard that he falls off the rock and into the water, but not before he grabs Max and pulls her with him. Nudge screams as Gazzy pushes her and Angel in, then jumping in himself. By now, we are all laughing again, even Max. Then Fang splashes Max on accident and starts the splashing war. By the time the group of kids came crashing out of the trees, we were drying our wings on the warm rocks. One girl screamed while the rest of the kids ran back into the trees, yelling for their parents. We scrambled to our feet. The rest of the flock tried to flap their wings and fly away but I knew that our wings were still damp. Instead of failing to fly, I grabbed Iggy and Angel's hands and ran towards the trees in the opposite direction of the other kids.

"Follow me!" I yell to the others. I run through the woods, checking behind me to make sure everyone is following me. Behind Max, the one running behind everyone to make sure they are still going, I can see several men in bright orange vests running with rifles. I stifle me scream and keep running. I finally find what I was looking for. A couple of bushes, that go up to about my hip, on the side of the mountain. I pull them apart to show the entrance to the cave. I usher everyone inside and scramble in at the last second, pulling the bushes back into place. From behind the leaves, I can see the men running past our hiding place and going up the mountain. I turn around and crawl towards the back of the small entrance. The rock walls on either side of me retreat to a bigger cavern. I can see the flock, illuminated by the hole in the top of the cavern. It shines light on the small stream that ran through the middle of the cave.+

"They went past us but we should stay here until nightfall to make sure that we are safe." I say, finding my small cubbie hole. Inside, I find matches, a Twinkie, a blanket, and a comb. Fang grabs the Twinkie while I hand the blanket to Gazzy and Angel, who are both shivering violently. It is cold in here but it is the only hiding place we have now. I find a pile of twigs just below my cubbie hole and light them with one of the matches. We crowd around the small fire, feeling the cold seeping from the cold, stone floors.

"How did you know this was here? Did you know that people went to that lake?" Max interrogated.

"I had no idea that people came to this lake. It is pretty remote around here. As for how I knew this was here, I found it on my way to the cabin." I respond, wanting to be truthful.

"Will you tell us the story?" Nudge asks, looking hopeful for something interesting instead of sitting here in silence.

"Um, sure." I smile. The whole flock moves so that they face me expectantly. Max included.

* * *

_It was raining and the temperature was dropping quickly. It had been a week since my parents kicked me out for their own safety. I had traveled by bus half of the way to my parents' old cabin. I flew the other half until it started raining. I knew I couldn't fly in the rain so I resolved to walking. The gray sky was starting to darken. I needed to get to shelter fast or I might get hypothermia. I had just passed a lake. I remember hiking over a mountain and going to the lake with my family a year ago, when everything was normal. Now I was coming up to the mountain but there was no was I could get over it and to the cabin without freezing. I finally decided to try to camp it out under some bushes on the side of the mountain, hoping it would block some of the wind and rain. I crawled under but found myself in a hole. I crawled deeper, desperate to get away from the cold, when I found a large cave. The crack in the roof let in the fading light so that I could barely see a stream running through the middle. I find a small cubbie hole on the side of the cave. I curl up in it with my blanket and fall asleep immediately since I was exhausted from walking all day. The next morning, I woke up, warm in the cubbie. I got up, ate a Twinkie, and tried to leave the cave but the entrance was blocked by several feet of snow. I would've died if I had stayed under those bushes. I was feeling a bit claustrophobic. So I flew up to the crack, shimmied through, and flew away, extremely glad that the snow had stopped falling. I found the cabin later that afternoon. It was farther than I had thought and I wouldn't have made it if I had continued the night before._

* * *

I finished on that happy note. The flock had cuddled together as the light faded. Iggy and I flew p to a ledge, just below the crack.

"So, was that story true?" Iggy asks, looking down at the other kids.

"Of course, it was. I don't think I could have made that up on my own." I say.

"I thought so." I punch him in the arm. "No, I mean about it being true, not the making it up part." Iggy says, holding his hands out, as if that would protect him. We watch through the crack as the sky turns dark. When we see the stars, we drop down to the ground. The flock gets up and we crawl out of the cavern. When we have flown over the mountain, the flock loosens up a bit. By the time we drop in front of the cabin, the kids are joking again. We go inside and sit in the living room.

"I think its time the flock has moved on from here. We don't want people snooping around here. I think we should go south." Max announces. Gazzy snorts.

"What at you laughing at, Gasman?" Max snaps.

"We are going south for the winter!" He grins. Iggy and Nudge burst out laughing. I join them.

"Gasman, I swear I will-" Max starts but she abruptly stops when she sees the girl standing at the bottom of the stairs. My eyes widen when I take in her pink pajamas and sparkling eyes.

"Lacey?"

* * *

**Ever wonder what happened to Hope's family after they forced her to leave?(:**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm trying to get all my chapters up for these stories I have. I am swamped with all the stuff I have to do. . . **

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Lacey screams and ran to me. I still don't process that she's here, even though her arms still are wrapped around me.

"Hope! I can't believe its you! Its been eight years since you left. I thought I'd never see you again!" Lacey, who was six when Dad forced me to leave. The only one who actually cried. I grab her arm, looking apologetically at the flock before pulling her upstairs.

"Look Lacey, I'm not staying. I'm leaving again and I can't tell you where. I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad I got to see you one last time without the others staring at us." Lacey's excitement drains out of her eyes. She looks like she is about to argue with me but decides against it.

"I'm glad, too, Hope." She smiles and squeezes me in another hug. When I pull away, I see tears sparkling on her cheeks. I smile sadly before turning to go downstairs.

"You don't want to see Dad?" I shake my head silently.

"Mom wanted me to tell you she loved you when I saw you again. She. . . died last year but she always believed we would see you again." My sobs choke me as I run down the stairs. Away from the truth.

"Lets go." I make out to the tense flock before grabbing Iggy's hand and running out the door. Once everyone is in the sky, flying south, my tears are blurring my vision. I blink fast and try not to let the others see but Iggy does. We pull back slightly from the rest.

"Are you okay?" He mouths. I wipe my tears away. I wish it were that easy with my feelings. If I had known that Mom. . . I stop there because I start to cry harder. I shake my head in attempt to calm down. The last thing I see is the flock screaming as clouds gather above our heads.

* * *

I scream as I wake up, still free-falling. Lightning flashes as I hear _pitter-patter_ on the leaves. Iggy's eyes immediately come to my focus.

"Iggy. What happened?" I whisper, taking in the tree we are sitting in.

"After you passed out, it started to rain so we stopped and stationed in these trees. We didn't get far from the cabin though. The convenience store is about a hundred yards that way. He points to my right. A couple drops of water fall on my face as I place myself next to Iggy, shoulder to shoulder, our backs in the thick trunk behind us.

"Is there something wrong with me?" I whisper.

"Of course not."

"Why did I pass out, then?" My tone is a little harsh.

"I don't know." I sigh at the response because it's exactly whats going on in my head.

"I do know that you are perfect like an angel." I beam and turn to him, only to be caught in his lips. A feeling burns through me. I pull myself closer but I can't get enough. There is something about Iggy that makes you fall in love with him. Love. I am shocked so much that I pull away, causing Iggy to give me a concerned look. Do I love Iggy? My heart pumps a confident _yes_ while my brain isn't certain. I only just met him but he is my world. The way he is, just makes me lean in and kiss him again with more passion to make up for the way I pulled back earlier. Why not love him when he is great? We are only interrupted by the thunder that crashes over our heads. We pull away, breathing hard. The storm dies down as I fall asleep next to Iggy.

* * *

The next morning, I find myself being shaken awake by a grinning Iggy.

"We need to get up, Hope, the flock is leaving." We drop to the ground to find it sopping wet. Luckily, the flock kept our wings tucked in and dry last night or we wouldn't be able to fly. The sun shines through the broken clouds. It is a little cool but at least it's not raining. After grabbing some snacks, we take to the skies. I smile at Iggy, grateful that the tears are gone even though we both know that I am still grieving my mother and I still have no idea what happened to my father. At least I got to see Lacey before we were gone forever.

The flock had flown for a couple of hours when it all went down hill. The flock had been flying over a large expanse of land with a nearly cloudless sky. Anyone could easily spot us.

And they did. The helicopter had caught up to us from behind.

* * *

**Hope, you like it! Sorry about the shortness and I will try to update soon(:**


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